


A Compendium of Writing Advice

by Anonymous



Category: No Fandom
Genre: Compendium, Writing Advice, Writing Guide
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-16
Updated: 2020-06-16
Packaged: 2021-03-04 03:01:11
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 14,383
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24756694
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: A compendium of writing advice I find or have found to be useful.
Kudos: 8
Collections: Anonymous





	1. Creating Atmosphere in Writing: The Ultimate Guide

https://www.writerscookbook.com/creating-atmosphere-writing/

Written by Sarah Hindmarsh

One thing many writers struggle with is creating the right atmosphere for their book, story, poem etc.

Nobody wants to read a book that is supposed to be a romantic comedy but reads like an instruction manual, or a scare fest. Nor is it ideal to have a peaceful atmosphere throughout a crime drama or horror story.

In films and television, atmosphere can be hugely affected by lighting choices, music, sound effects, and the skill of the actors. On the page we have only the words to work with. It’s hard!

Some people seem to be able to terrify their readers with a single sentence. Others can whisk us off to an island paradise with a few skilful strokes of their pen.

So how do they do it?

The good news is that it’s not always a natural talent.

Sure, there are people out there who can effortlessly create the exact effect they want seemingly from birth, but the rest of us? We had to learn how to do it.

The really good news is that if I can learn to do it then you can too. Some of my early pieces did read like the aforementioned instruction manuals. They don’t anymore. I hope!

## Word choices

A great way to learn how to create an atmosphere in writing is to talk to a high school English teacher about word choices. Brilliant! Say hello to your new English teacher—me.

I spend countless hours teaching my students to pick precise words to accurately convey their meaning. They also learn to identify words that other writers have used to create atmosphere in the set texts.

The English language is one of the most rich and diverse in the world. There are so many synonyms available that it’s a breeze to find exactly the right one for your purpose.

Consider the sentence below:

> Dave went up the stairs.

This sentence creates no atmosphere. We cannot tell a thing about Dave, his state of mind, or the scene he is in.

We can fix this by choosing a stronger verb for our purposes. It’s a simple step that can have a big impact.

Consider the following sentences:

>   1. _Dave crept up the stairs._
>   2. _Dave fled up the stairs._
>   3. _Dave skipped up the stairs._
>   4. _Dave stomped up the stairs._
> 


In each of these sentences we have a better idea of how Dave is feeling, and what kind of scene we are witnessing than we did in the first sentence.

If asked to do so we could pick in which of these four sentences Dave is angry, happy, or scared, and in which he is trying not to wake his baby daughter.

However, one word does not in itself create an atmosphere.

In English classes we talk about such things as **lexical sets** (a group of synonyms) and **semantic fields** (when multiple words in a passage convey a similar meaning to build an overall impression). These are fancy ways of saying that we need to repeatedly **choose words that are appropriate** for the atmosphere we want.

Consider the following two paragraphs both describing the same place. What atmosphere is created by the word choices in each case?

> _The beach was chaos. Screaming children charged about all over the place, stampeding through the picnics of innocent beach goers. Out of control dogs splattered all and sundry with a vile mix of drool, seawater and sand; whilst seagulls dive bombed anyone foolish enough to keep food in their hand more than a second or two._

> _The beach was vibrant with activity. I could hear the joyful shouts of children mixed with the barking of excited dogs coming from the water’s edge. Overhead the seagulls danced and squawked, awaiting their chance to commandeer any stray item of food amidst the hustle and bustle._

Each of these paragraphs describes the same scene, and yet the impression we get of the beach in each case is different.

Much like at a party, the disposition of your characters, and their attitude to a situation, will affect the way a scene is perceived. This will inform your word choices and hence determine the atmosphere of a piece of work.

TOP TIP: If you need to create, or enhance, the atmosphere in a scene, create a list of words and phrases that you associate with the kind of atmosphere you want. Then create a list of words and phrases that would create the opposite effect. Refer to those lists to improve your word choices.

## Creating atmosphere through character

  
  


We experience in real life the difference the people at an event can make to its atmosphere. Some people have a talent for buoying the spirits of all around them, while others are certain to kill any positive vibe.

So how do we use this to help us create an atmosphere in stories?

Firstly we use dialogue. And this comes back to those all-important word choices.

The way a character talks, the phrasing they use, the words they pick, the words they drop; these are all fantastic for creating an atmosphere.

If you’re using first person narration you can use this to maximum effect. If you’ve [done your characterisation well](https://www.writerscookbook.com/three-dimensional-characters/) the reader is so transported inside that person’s head that they are able to feel that character’s emotions along with them.

So what defines a character’s contribution to atmosphere?

Again TV and film has the edge on this because they can use such visual cues as body language, facial expression and even clothing to help.

Writers have to have the tools to express all this with words alone.

How can we create a character that lightens the atmosphere when they appear in a scene of your book? Likewise how do we draw a character that casts a shadow over proceedings?

It’s easier than you might think.

A few well-chosen descriptive details and your character is alive on the page.

If they are a scowling teenager with black eye make-up and a razor sharp tongue, they’ll probably put a dampener on the atmosphere. A jolly sort of fellow with a lopsided smile is likely to make everything feel more whimsical and light hearted.

Of course we wouldn’t want to draw these sorts of caricatures for our main characters—but they do work well for peripheral characters injecting particular scenes with a particular atmosphere.

If you want to make a train journey more uncomfortable for your main character then putting them next to eight foot tall Mr Universe, with his manspreading and bulging everywhere, will work a treat. His contribution to the physical discomfort will only exacerbate whatever else is making your character out of sorts that day.

TOP TIP: think about people you know when you’re deciding which characters are needed in a scene to create your atmosphere. Think about their mannerisms, physical features, body language, tone of voice and the energy they give out.

How does Uncle Mike always manage to turn even the liveliest party into a complete snooze fest?

How does Brenda at the office always seem to manage to make everyone smile?

Why do you feel relaxed at Alex’s house but nervous and on edge at Dave’s house?

Why do you always feel totally safe when Grandad is in the room?

If you can put your finger on the answers to these questions then you’ll be well on your way to being able to write characters who contribute to a convincing atmosphere.

## Reactions and overreactions

Of course it’s not just the temperament of your characters that can create an atmosphere. How they react to things can also contribute. Being able to write convincing emotional reactions to certain situations is a valuable skill.

For a scene to appear to be genuinely scary your characters must react in a way that convinces the reader they are scared.

You MUST NOT write ‘He felt scared/angry/sad/depressed.’ Ever. Just don’t do it.

In one story I wrote I wanted to show that a character was angry and trying not to show it so I wrote that she pressed her tongue hard against the roof of her mouth. Simple yet effective.

In order to be able to do this we must spend some time studying other humans. To an extent we can draw on our own experiences—we all have emotions after all—but that will only get us so far.

Every human reacts differently to situations. It’s important to have characters react in equally different (yet plausible) ways. If you don’t have differing reactions to things then you only have one character in your book.

So study people. Watch them in different situations. Try to work out what emotions they’re feeling.

What are the physical signs of that emotion?

What verbal tics commonly occur in people experiencing certain emotions?

What is their tone of voice like?

How does their facial expression change?

TOP TIP: If your scene feels a bit flat go back and look at how your characters are behaving. Do they really seem to be scared/happy/carefree etc? Or do they seem a bit bored? Think about how you could more accurately show their feelings and reactions to a scene.

## Using sensory details

  
  


In the real world our senses tell us what’s going on and help us to decide how we should feel about a situation. All eight of them. (Yes that’s right—eight. You thought there were only five didn’t you? I’ll get to those three you didn’t know about in a moment.)

In the world of words on pages and screen we have to have our senses engaged somehow to fully appreciate the atmosphere of a scene.

Many writers make the mistake of relying too heavily on visual details. They think if they can get the reader to picture something as if it were a painting they will have succeeded.

Unfortunately this doesn’t work. We don’t want the reader to feel as if they’re looking at a painting—we want them to feel as though they’re standing next to our characters, experiencing the scene with them.

I’ll repeat that because it’s important. A painting is NOT good enough. **Readers should feel as if they have been transported into the world you have created.**

### The senses you didn’t realise you knew about

So what were those three ‘extra’ senses? And why are they important? Well they’re some of your most valuable tools in building atmosphere. You’ve always known they were there, but you probably didn’t realise they were senses. And maybe didn’t have words to describe them.

Proprioception is the sense of knowing which way up you are, where you are in relation to the ground and where all your parts are in relation to each other.

Playing with a character’s sense of proprioception can create confusion, fear, uncertainty, you name the negative emotion proprioception can help you convey it. It does a good job on some of the positive ones too.

Balance is obvious. Sink someone’s sense of balance and you put the whole world into a spin. Conversely if you enhance their sense of balance—like an athlete that feels through an event as though they couldn’t miss a step—you get a euphoric atmosphere.

Interoception is arguably the most important of the three. This is the sense that tells you how your body is feeling. It’s pain, nausea, an aching bladder, hunger, thirst, butterflies in your stomach, trapped wind. It’s that sense of claustrophobia when someone huge stands right behind you.

Interoception is vitally important for atmosphere. Physical reactions to emotions can be strong. Physical reactions to external stimuli like smells can be equally strong.

We all know that feeling like someone poured a bucket of ice inside our chest when we realise we’ve done something horribly, horribly wrong. Your readers do too. If you can accurately describe that feeling you’re half way to that atmosphere of panic and desperation you want.

Bodily functions can aid in creating light hearted and even comedic atmospheres too, if treated with a little finesse. The discomfort of someone who is absolutely desperate to fart when stuck in a room with the vicar can be a cracking way to add a little levity.

### Practical Applications of the Senses for Atmosphere

So how do we use all five senses to build an atmosphere that without twenty pages of description giving every tiny detail?

Mostly by picking and choosing the details that best suit the impression you want to create.

Certain smells, tastes, physical sensations and sounds will conjure up memories and emotions that visual input alone can’t access.

Whenever I smell that ‘new car smell’ and eat a cheese and mayonnaise sandwich I am utterly transported back to a childhood trip to Disney World. Seeing pictures of the theme parks doesn’t have anything like the same effect.

We also need to remember the overwhelming things we experience in certain situations. The burning at the tips of our ears when it’s so cold we’ve reached the point where our only ambition in life is to be warm again; the prickling on the back of our necks when something frightens us; the distortion of the senses in the dark, or underwater, and so many more I couldn’t possibly list them in a lifetime.

Consider the following:

> _From somewhere above came the shriek of a wild hawk. The wind tore my hair from under my hood and lashed it across my face, obscuring my vision. My stomach pitched and whirled as the stones beneath me shifted, pitching me forwards into a slow, unstoppable tumble down the hillside. I came to an abrupt stop in a pool of foul-stinking water. The nausea took hold. Sharp stones scraped my hands and knees as I retched, shivering and sobbing, with water, vomit, and mud dripping from my hair._

In this paragraph I have used very little visual detail, and have instead employed sound, smell, touch, proprioception, balance and interoception. (There’s those three extra senses cropping up!) This works because when we’re tumbling down a hillside we probably can’t actually see too much because it’s all happening much too fast.

I could have written the paragraph quite differently, focusing on visual detail, and not achieved the same effect.

> _For a moment I couldn’t see as my hair was in front of my face. I looked down and saw the stone I had stepped on begin to move. The world spun and flashed green, then grey, then green again as I tumbled down the hill. I landed in a pool of muddy brown water, and vomited. I had mud, water and puke dripping from my hair._

You can probably picture the scene reasonably clearly here. Someone is rolling down a hill and landing in a small pond. It’s not a difficult concept to imagine. But does the second one tell you how she feels? Does it contribute to effective building of an atmosphere for the book as a whole?

TOP TIP: **Engage all your senses.** Think hard about associations. Use the onomatopoeia your English teacher used to drone on about. The more of your reader’s senses you can engage (and don’t forget to count eight not five) the more effectively you will transport them to the scene.

##  **Using setting**

  
  


There’s no denying that where you are can have an effect on the atmosphere you sense around you. Your own living room is likely to be comfortable and cosy, while a dark alleyway in a dodgy neighbourhood will be much scarier.

It is no accident that so many horror stories take place in isolated, lonely places, or at night. Nor is it a coincidence that there are so many coffee shop and wine bar scenes in romantic comedy books.

These places have a particular atmosphere by default. If you want to create that atmosphere in a scene then using one of them is not a bad idea.

Isn’t that lazy? I hear you ask.

No.

When we are writing a story we are aiming to create the **most authentic emotional experience** possible for the reader. Using places they will automatically associate with a certain type of atmosphere isn’t lazy, it’s smart.

Setting a scene in a coffee shop is the ‘creating a cosy, relaxed atmosphere’ equivalent of using ‘said’ as a dialogue tag. The reader barely notices it, but it relays the important information.

What is important is that you don’t make it seem forced or cliched. Everybody goes to coffee shops; they’re commonplace. It would almost be strange to have a book about human beings that doesn’t involve a trip to one at some point.

Some settings are cliched. Using a graveyard to create a horror scene is going to seem jaded if you aren’t careful, just as using the peacefulness of the ocean can seem to be hackneyed.

That doesn’t mean you can’t use those settings, but you need to be clever about it to surprise the reader. Don’t just drop them into a graveyard because you need them to be frightened. The graveyard must be pivotal to the story as well. E.E. Holmes wrote a great scene in her series, _[The Gateway Trackers](https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01N5CND0B/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&linkCode=ll1&tag=thewriscoo-21&linkId=6ee66e7ee4651530628fff26d24b6b8c&language=en_GB)_ (I forget which book), that uses a graveyard without being predictable and cliched.

We can mentally dress our scenes just as the props department would dress a movie scene. Pick out the things that make a scene inviting, scary, exciting or whatever else you would like the reader to experience, and describe those things.

Mentioning the polished silverware arranged in military lines gives a house a very different atmosphere to talking about the jumble of assorted puzzles piled haphazardly on a low shelf.

These two details may very well be in the same room, but by picking out one and not the other we create different impressions of that room. Which would you choose to make a scene appear formal and uncomfortable?

Using a few well-placed literary devices can also help with turning the setting into an integral part of the atmosphere.

**Personification** can be used to great effect with setting. Assigning the place a character as friendly, hostile, aggressive, welcoming etc and describing in it in those human terms creates a strong atmosphere.

Consider the following:

> _The trees reached icy fingers towards me, and frost-whitened thorns grasped at my skin and plucked at my clothes._

What atmosphere is invoked here? Do you feel as though the character walking through the woods is at ease? Is this a forest you would like to visit?

Compare it to this:

> _The trees whispered encouragingly as a playful breeze ruffled their branches. A falling leaf caressed my cheek and settled in a patch of sunlight just ahead. Was the forest showing me the way?_

The two places are essentially the same, but the atmosphere beneath the canopy is very different because the personification used gives the trees opposing characters.

TOP TIP: Your setting can be as important as your word choices and characters in creating an atmosphere. Choose wisely both where to set your story, and how to describe that setting. Avoid cliches but remember some settings are well-used for a reason!

## Conclusion

Creating atmosphere is one of the most elusive skills for a writer, and many writers struggle to create any atmosphere other than the few they are comfortable with. You should now have the tools to improve your ability to create atmosphere you want.

There is no substitute for practice. Try placing a few cards with different atmospheres written on them into a hat and drawing one out at random. Spend twenty minutes crafting a scene which requires that atmosphere.

Look critically at whether your word choices are appropriate, your characters are behaving in the way they need to, and whether your setting is working for you or against. Check that you’ve used the right sensations.

If you’re brave enough, ask a friend to read it and see if they can tell what atmosphere you’re aiming for. If you’re not brave enough—and ask them anyway!

Atmosphere can make or break a piece, so make sure you have the tools to get it right.


	2. How to Improve Your Writing—With Writing Prompts

_https://www.writerscookbook.com/how-to-improve-writing-with-prompts/_

_This is a guest post by Lucia Tang_.

Say you’ve reached the point where inspiration is as elusive as water in a desert. Every word you type feels futile, like trudging through endless sand.

Who’s going to bail you out? 

_You_ are the only one who can, of course. But that doesn’t mean you have to rely solely on the contents of your own mind—which, let’s be honest, is feeling pretty parched at this point. Time to irrigate it with some writing prompts! 

When you’re in the throes of writer’s block, a prompt can be just what you need. Whether it’s [supplied by a contest](https://blog.reedsy.com/writing-contests/), taken from a website, or half-remembered from your student days, a prompt can seriously perk you up when you’re feeling uninspired.

That’s because writing prompts take quite a bit of the pressure off. When you’re grappling with someone else’s assignment, there’s much less anxiety about having to generate your best writing ever.

Compare that to, say, [writing a book](https://blog.reedsy.com/how-to-write-a-book/): your _own_ book. With so consequential—and so personal—a task, the blank page couldn’t be scarier.

But writing prompts can do more for you than just treat your writer’s block.

Be smart about how you use them, and they’ll actually _improve_ your writing—pushing you to hone your craft and teaching you to turn out strong prose on command.

Here are five ways you can use them to have your best writing year yet.

## 1\. Use them to build a writing practice

Like musicians and dancers, writers are _artists_. But it can be hard not to feel estranged from our counterparts in the performance disciplines. After all, pianists play their scales, and ballerinas have their barres. But what’s a [novelist or a short fiction](https://www.writerscookbook.com/story-ingredients/)writer supposed to do for practice? The answer: write with prompts.

Seek out writing prompts regularly—maybe every week or even every day—and respond to them with short pieces, no more than 500 words.

These brief exercises aren’t supposed to see the light of publication, not any more than a dancer’s morning barre routine is meant to be performed on-stage. So take each one as a low-stakes opportunity to work on your craft.

Don’t worry about polish, just focus on keeping those writing muscles warm and limber.

Stick with it, and you’ll quickly find yourself growing in technique and flexibility, like a disciplined dancer.

## 2\. Apply them to an existing project

If you’ve already got a project in your pipeline, use writing prompts to explore it further.

Your ideas are likely to be richer than even _you_ realise—a whole uncharted land full of narrative potential.

A writing prompt can help you map that land to its outermost reaches.

The prose you generate doesn’t have to make it into your final draft, but it _should_ help you chart out the emotional world of your story.

Try taking a supporting character from your cast and making them the protagonist of a new, prompt-inspired snippet.

Or, sketch out a what-if scenario—a scene from your memoir that never _actually_ happened, but could have. 

## 3\. Use them to get out of your comfort zone

Writing prompts allow us the freedom to experiment. So don’t feel tied to the sort of thing you _always_ write.

If you’re normally a memoirist, try a bit of science fiction.

If you usually stick to third person limited omniscience, spend a few pages [playing with second person](https://blog.reedsy.com/point-of-view).

Think of yourself as a cross-training athlete. You may be going out of your comfort zone, but you’re improving your overall fitness as a writer, strengthening your voice and polishing your facility with literary technique.

At the same time, you’re giving yourself a break from your usual genre—so you can return to it feeling refreshed. 

## 4\. Combine two—especially if they don’t seem to go together

Try layering two writing prompts together for a real writerly workout.

Take them from different genres, and you just might come up with an irresistible mashup, the likes of _[Pride and Prejudice and Zombies](https://amzn.to/2BHDTb3)_.

Say you’ve decided to grab both a [fantasy](https://www.writerscookbook.com/short-guide-to-fantasy-genres/) prompt and a romance prompt, weaving them together into a single narrative. Here’s the first one:

**For hundreds of years, it’s been thought that all of the land has been discovered. But that’s not true, and you’re about to prove it.**

And the second: 

**Write a love story that ends with: “I’ve made a huge mistake**.” 

How would you combine these?

You could use the fantasy prompt to give the romance one a little, magical twist. It’s still a love story. But maybe the ‘mistake’ isn’t a failed romance—maybe it’s a reference to the fact that the acknowledged map of the world is wrong, and there’s an enchanted continent no one knew about, inhabited by fire-breathing dragons.

Or maybe the lovers made a huge _mistake_ when they sailed off to unknown parts without bringing any fire-resistant armour. They’re worried about what those dragons will do to their little wooden ship, and that brings them closer together than they ever expected…

## 5\. Push them to their breaking point 

Sometimes, it’s fun to feel like you’re getting away with something. That’s the great thing about writing prompts—they’re a little like homework, but there’s no one to punish you if you cheat.

Of course you shouldn’t plagiarise, but you _can_ push the prompt to its limit. Respond to it in a way you know its creator never intended, like a genie doing his best to frustrate a wish-maker.

If you’re asked, say, ‘Write a story about a road trip between two old friends that turns into something more,’ you don’t have to make that ‘something more’ a romance. It could be a bank robbery, the discovery of friend A’s fairy ancestry, or the founding of a squid-worshipping cult.

Writing prompts might give you a nudge in the right direction, but at the end of the day, the writer is _you_. All the narrative decisions are in your hands. 


	3. 5 Easy Ways to Improve Your Writing

https://www.writerscookbook.com/ways-improve-your-writing/

Written by Kristina Adams

Crafting clear, simple sentences that connect with your readers sounds simple.

But it’s really, _really_ not.

Many academic institutions teach you the exact opposite of how to write in this way.

That means that when you’re blogging, you want to write a commercial book, or even when you’re a poet, it can be very difficult to convey your ideas clearly and sharply.

In fact, writing clearly and expressing your ideas in a simple way is one of the most difficult challenges you’ll face, particularly when you first start out.

However, the more you write in a particular way, the easier it gets. That’s why it’s crucial to practise in order to [find your writerly voice](https://www.writerscookbook.com/how-to-find-your-writing-voice/).

Here’s 5 easy ways to improve your writing that you can start doing right away.

## Use active voice

Consider the difference between these sentences:

> _A cake is being baked by me._
> 
> _I bake a cake._

Which creates a more vivid image? Which puts you into the character’s head faster? Which conveys the image in a simpler way, using as few words as possible?

The first example is passive voice. That’s when the _receiver of the action_ comes before the _doer of the action_ in the sentence.

> Passive: _A selfie was taken by the girl_
> 
> Active: _The girl took a selfie_

Active voice is encouraged in all forms of writing, but is particularly useful in [screenwriting](https://www.writerscookbook.com/screenplay-ingredients/) and pieces written in present tense.

Why?

Because it creates a sense of urgency. It puts you in the character’s mind faster. You use fewer words. It’s therefore easier for readers to understand. _And_ if you were to replace every instance of passive voice in your writing with active voice, you could reduce your word count by a few hundred words.

That’s not to say that there’s no place for passive voice, but it should be used with caution.

## Vary sentence length

This is why all writers can benefit from [writing poetry](https://www.writerscookbook.com/writing-poetry/).

When you vary the lengths of your sentences, it creates a rhythm.

Your readers may not consciously notice this rhythm, but subconsciously they’ll find it more pleasant to read.

This is a great example from [Gary Provost](http://www.garyprovost.com/_i__b__font_size___1__100_ways_to_improve_your_writing___font_size__font_size__2_109049.htm):

> This sentence has five words. Here are five more words. Five-word sentences are fine. But several together become monotonous. Listen to what is happening. The writing is getting boring. The sound of it drones. It’s like a stuck record. The ear demands some variety.
> 
> Now listen. I vary the sentence length, and I create music. Music. The writing sings. It has a pleasant rhythm, a lilt, a harmony. I use short sentences. And I use sentences of medium length. And sometimes when I am certain the reader is rested, I will engage him with a sentence of considerable length, a sentence that burns with energy and builds with all the impetus of a crescendo, the roll of the drums, the crash of the cymbals–sounds that say listen to this, it is important.
> 
> So write with a combination of short, medium, and long sentences. Create a sound that pleases the reader’s ear. Don’t just write words. Write music.

## Write with conviction—believe what you say, don’t doubt it

When you use phrases like ‘I think’ or ‘I believe’, you devalue your words before you’ve even said them.

Of course you think or believe something—you’ve written it! Why do you need to preface it by saying so?

Adding phrases like ‘I think’ or ‘I believe’ also makes you sound less confident, and therefore makes your readers less confident in you, too.

It doesn’t matter what you write or how long you’ve been writing—say it with conviction.

It can be difficult to feel confident when you’re just starting out.

It can make you feel like a fraud or a hypocrite.

But you know what?

_Everyone_ feels this way sometimes.

It doesn’t matter how long someone has been doing something—we’re all making it up as we go along.

What’s important is that you say what you want to say with conviction.

Admit when you’ve made a mistake, and learn from it.

Your readers will connect with your journey and come to trust your judgement.

And if you’re not feeling confident?

Fake it.

## Avoid filler words

There’s nothing inherently wrong with filler words, but they don’t serve a purpose in writing.

They just sit there, filling space.

In speech, they give us time to think. We don’t need this time in writing.

If you plan to use filler words in your fiction, make sure that it’s a character trait and not something that every character does. Fictional speech should be sharper than real speech.

Some filler words to avoid:

  * Actually
  * Just
  * Literally*
  * Like
  * You know
  * Er/erm/um



*Not technically a filler word, but doesn’t serve a purpose and is a prime example of this:

[via GIPHY](https://giphy.com/gifs/theatre-musicals-princess-bride-N7FeGLHjVsDQY)

## Analyse how your favourite writers write

This one takes a little longer, but it really is key.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: [the best writers read](https://www.writerscookbook.com/writers-reading/). There are no exceptions.

The more you read, the better you’ll get at writing.

And there’s no harm in recreating someone’s voice in order to try and find your own.

We all copied the fashion senses of family members or our favourite celebrities until we found our own. There’s nothing wrong with doing that with your writing too.

The more writing styles you try out, the faster you’ll find your voice.

You don’t have to copy your favourite writers’ style, of course—the most important thing is that you read actively.

Write down what you like and dislike; if you can bear to, leave annotations in the margins. Try to predict the plot. Pick apart the characters. Are they three-dimensional? Can you relate to them? What humanises them?

Pick apart the writing style, too—what works and what doesn’t work? Is their writing style to-the-point, or is it more purple prose? Is it formal or colloquial?

Make notes about as many different aspects as you can. The more thoroughly you analyse something, the more you’ll learn from it.


	4. 9 Character Types to Include in Your Story

https://www.writerscookbook.com/character-types-story/

Written by Kristina Adams

Recently, someone on Twitter asked me how he could make his characters more three-dimensional.

For me, it’s one of those things that evolves organically over time. Something as small as the outfit that someone wears or the way they phrase a sentence can trigger my mind to create a character.

The more characters you create, the easier it becomes.

But there are some types of characters that every story must have.

Once you’re aware of character type, you’ll find yourself noticing it more and more in what you read and watch. You can then use this awareness to study that character and see what elements you can use in your own writing.

Knowing what role your characters play in your story helps you to refine your plot, choose your narrative style, and tighten your prose.

So, let’s dig a little deeper, shall we?

> **Looking for a way to build a plot around your characters? Check out[The Writing Society](https://www.thewritingsociety.com/). Here to help you with every step of your writing journey. Get $5 off your first month of membership—use the code ‘cookbook’ at checkout. [Join today and invest in your writing future](https://www.thewritingsociety.com/).**

## Protagonist (main character)

This is the person your story revolves around.

Most of the time they’ll also be your narrator, but not always.

For example, in [_The Great Gatsby_](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4671.The_Great_Gatsby), Gatsby is the protagonist, but Nick is the narrator.

The majority of books only have one protagonist. It _is_ possible to have more than one, but you need to be incredibly organised if this is the way you want to go. I would advise avoiding this at all costs for your first writing project. It doesn’t matter how much you love your story or characters, you _will_ get confused. (I speak from experience.)

Work on your writing skills first, then work on a story with a complicated plot.

## Deuteragonist

A deuteragonist is the second-in-command to your protagonist. You might call them a sidekick. I don’t like that word, because it makes them seem less important. This person is _very_ important.

It took me a while to admit that Fayth is the deuteragonist in [_What Happens in New York_](http://kristinaadamsauthor.com/what-happens-in-new-york/), while Hollie is the protagonist. Deuteragonists can still have a significant role in your story, even if the story doesn’t fully revolve around them.

Serena is the deuteragonist to _Gossip Girls’_ Blair; Han Solo is the deuteragonist to _Star Wars’_ Luke.

They’re not the same as a secondary character.

## Antagonist (villain)

An antagonist is the person or thing that causes your protagonist all the drama. It doesn’t have to be a person, though. Antagonists can be internal, too. Mental health issues such as [anxiety](https://www.writerscookbook.com/how-to-write-anxiety/), [depression](https://www.writerscookbook.com/how-to-write-about-depression/), or [stress](https://www.writerscookbook.com/how-to-write-stress/) can cause just as many problems for your protagonist as another person or creature with an axe to grind.

## Love interest

This one is pretty self-explanatory. It’s the person your protagonist is destined to fall in love with. Even if only temporarily.

You may wish to toy with your readers by having your protagonist and love interest _not_ get together, but be careful because if you drag this out for too long it can get frustrating and cause you to lose people.

Usually they’re a secondary character, but sometimes they can also be a deuteragonist and even a narrator, too.

## Mentor

The mentor is the person that guides your protagonist through their journey (whatever that may be).

Dumbledore and Obi-Wan Kenobi are two of the most famous mentor examples out there.

And, like Dumbledore and Obi-Wan, most mentors die at some point during the story. Usually when the protagonist thinks that they need him or her the most.

## Narrator

A narrator is the person who tells your story.

If you’re writing in first person, this will likely be your protagonist. Your deuteragonist may also be a narrator.

If you’re writing in third person, you are your narrator.

But, unless it’s part of your writing style (like Dickens in _A Christmas Carol_ ), you don’t want your reader to be aware of this. You still want them to forget all about you and focus on the actions of your characters.

## Secondary character

A secondary character is the one who joins your hero for their journey.

Sometimes there’s more than one, but if you have more than two, you’re going to start overcomplicating things.

(See previous point about having too many protagonists.)

Ron and Hermione from _Harry Potter_ are good examples of secondary characters. They’re three-dimensional, but it’s clear that the story doesn’t revolve around them. They’ll do anything they can to help the Harry, though.

Subplots often revolve around secondary characters, such as [Hermione’s creation of ](http://harrypotter.wikia.com/wiki/Society_for_the_Promotion_of_Elfish_Welfare)_S.P.E.W._.

## Tertiary character

We know less about tertiary characters than protagonists or secondary characters, but that doesn’t mean that we don’t still care about them or want to know more.

Many of the teachers at Hogwarts, such as Lupin, fall into this category.

They’re not central to the story, and they’re not along for the ride. They may, however, play a crucial role in a part of the protagonist’s journey, such as Lupin teaching [Harry about dementors](https://www.writerscookbook.com/harry-potter-vs-dementors-metaphor-depression/).

## Flat character

A flat character is someone we don’t need to know anything about. They’re in one scene, maybe two.

They don’t really help to move the story along, but they do help your protagonist with something or other.

Everything from bartenders to pets can be flat characters.

Even though they’re called flat characters, that doesn’t mean that they have to be lacking in personality. You can still make them interesting by giving them their own way of speaking or a memorable mannerism.

## Conclusion

Not every story will include every type of character.

Most stories outside of fantasy and sci-fi don’t have mentors, for example.

Stories with just one protagonist and point of view don’t need a deutarogonist.

But the more you’re aware of the different character types, the more you can make a better informed decision about which character types you need to include in your story.


	5. The Cake Analogy: Why You Should Never Show Your First Draft to Anyone

https://www.writerscookbook.com/first-draft-cake-analogy/

Written by Kristina Adams

You wouldn’t do this:

Step 1: Add butter to bowl. Show to those that are likely to eat cake.

Step 2: Cream butter and sugar. Show contents to those who are likely to eat cake.

Step 3: Add flour. Show contents again, possibly reaching more people if word got out how good your unfinished cake looks.

Step 4: Add eggs. Show cake to audience again. Continue to show your readers the contents of your bowl each time you’ve added another ingredient.

Tedious, isn’t it? It also leaves no margin for error. If you get some eggshell in your cake, your audience will notice, and they may well remember even if you’ve fished all the eggshell out. They may go looking for more eggshells and be less interested in eating your cake. It may put them off altogether.

Think of the pieces of eggshell as issues with your novel. You wouldn’t want to show a novel like that to your readers, would you?

Then why are you showing them the first draft?

Your first draft should be for you, and you alone.

Showing people your first draft is like showing them your cake before it’s gone into the oven. It’s not nearly as impressive, is it?

By all means keep your target audience in mind, but don’t show it to them until it’s ready, and you’ve worked it as much as you possibly can. No matter how loyal they are, or how much they beg. Doing so is akin to taking your cake out of the oven too soon: it will sink, and your audience won’t enjoy the finished product as much (because it’s not technically finished). They may lose a little of their love for your work, because it’s not up to the standard that they’re used to.

So why risk it?

If your readers are loyal, they’re going to be willing to wait for the next instalment. And if they’re _that_ loyal, you wouldn’t want to give them something half-baked, would you?

If you’ve got a finished chapter — and I mean _finished_ , not _subject to change_ — by all means share it with them to whet their appetite.

But if you know that the story is likely to change dramatically and it’s not your best piece of writing, why risk damaging readers’ opinions of you?

It’s important to keep in contact with your readers and keep them informed of your progress, but you shouldn’t be showing them anything until the book is finished.

They’ll thank you in the long run.

Now, I don’t know about you, but I’m off to eat some cake.


	6. The Curse of Too Much Dialogue

https://www.writerscookbook.com/too-much-dialogue/

Written by Kristina Adams

Dialogue is great. It’s one of my favourite things to write because I feel like I can really see and hear the character when I put those words on to a page. However, [studying Creative Writing](http://www.writerscookbook.com/benefits-study-creative-writing/) has taught me that too much dialogue can be the equivalent of binge-eating your favourite food: it can take your love away.

If you write [screenplays](http://writerscookbook.com/screenplay-ingredients/), the temptation can be to write dialogue and only dialogue, and leave the description up to the director. However, this gives you less control and creative freedom. It also makes it harder for the reader — and potential bringer to life — of your script to envision what it will look like on screen. We may _hear_ scripts, but we predominantly _see_ them, and what someone does as they speak can completely change the meaning of what they say.

# Why Dialogue is Great

# 

Dialogue allows you to hear the character both in fiction and in scripts. The way someone constructs their sentences and pronounces their words can say a lot about them without us ever needing to be told it.

Dialogue can be great for telling back story. Conan Doyle uses it a lot in _Sherlock Holmes_ , when potential clients are recounting the details of a case to him and Watson. Whilst his characters speak a lot, I don’t feel that it’s too much dialogue — Watson and Holmes aren’t mind readers, and they only way they — and the reader — will learn about the case is from the client telling it to us. The characters very often speak eloquently, but with their own idiolect. The way they recount their story also gives us a chance to work out how reliable or unreliable they are.

# Why Too Much Dialogue is Terrible

# 

Too much dialogue can be condescending to the audience. It offers up the opportunity to explain things too much, and run the risk of telling over showing. If your character doesn’t need to speak, there’s really no point in giving them any dialogue. A simple exchange of glances between characters can be far more intimate than a verbal exchange.

# Examples of Great Use of Dialogue

### Stoker

[ _Stoker_](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1682180/) begins and ends with a voice over. I talk about it a lot, because it completely changed my view on screenwriting.

Image credit: [Movie Pilot](http://www.moviepilot.com/)

In some of the most poignant scenes, there is little to no dialogue. The tension is built up using either silence or background music, and the talent of the actors. The actors convey a lot through very little, particularly the main characters of India and Charlie. Very subtle changes — such as India’s shoes — give us an insight into their psyche without us needing to be told anything verbally.

### The Breakfast Club

[ _The Breakfast Club_](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088847/?ref_=nv_sr_1) is about five teenagers from completely different social circles during detention one Saturday. If it was made now, it would be a completely different film, but the film lives on because the high school stereotypes and prejudices in it still exist in one form or another. There’s actually very little dialogue in the film — a lot of what we learn about the characters is through their actions or the way that they treat each other. Allison hardly speaks at all, and yet we know just as much about her as everyone else through her fidgeting, interactions with other characters, and the distance she keeps from them.

There are some brilliant scenes that contain no dialogue, including when they’re running away from Principal Vernon, and when they’re dancing around the library. The scene when they’re all confessing their secrets is heartfelt without being soppy, and uses just the right amount of speech.

#### Sherlock Holmes

I couldn’t rave about it above, then not include it in here, could I?

#### Gilmore Girls

[ _Gilmore Girls_](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0238784/?ref_=nv_sr_1) was highly influential in the way that it approached writing, dialogue, and production. The average script per show was 70-80 pages, whereas for most shows of the same length (about 44 minutes, 60 including ads) it’s 40-50 pages. This shows you how fast the cast had to speak to get everything in. The scripts were littered with pop culture references, odd words and an intelligence a lot of shows these days lack. The characters were all unique and had their own ways of speaking, such as Miss Patty’s use of pet names (‘sugar’ and ‘honey’ spring to mind), Michel’s dry wit and Sookie’s neuroticism and clumsiness.

Image Credit: The CW

# Examples of Too Much Dialogue

####  Captain America: The Winter Soldier

Many have tried to argue with me that the [second instalment](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1843866/?ref_=nv_sr_1) of the _Captain America_ franchise is great, but the only things that impressed me were the production values and Sebastian Stan. Stan’s character — The Winter Soldier himself — says very little, yet conveys so, _so_ much. The other characters, meanwhile, explain things almost to the point of patronising the audience. And don’t even get me started on what happened to Black Widow.

#### Maleficent

We all had such high expectations for [_Disney’s Maleficent_](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1587310/?ref_=nv_sr_1), but it fell short. It over-explained much of Maleficent’s world, explaining to us exactly what we could already see onscreen. Films should be about _showing_ people and allowing them to reach their own conclusions. The voiceovers used — particularly at the start — was completely unnecessary.

# Conclusion

Dialogue is important, but it has to be balanced with well thought out description. What our characters don’t say is just as important — if not more so — as what they do. The words a person uses can often be construed in different ways, but the way a person holds themselves, the pitch they speak in, or even just their lack of eye contact helps to demonstrate to the reader how your character feels without telling them directly.


	7. How to Get Out of Your Writing Funk

https://www.writerscookbook.com/how-to-get-out-of-your-writing-funk/

Written by Kristina Adams

So you’re stuck in a funk and you don’t know how to get out.

Well you’ve come to the right place.

I used to get stuck _a lot_.

Truth is, I still do sometimes.

But it’s my job to write content. I can’t afford to get stuck.

So here’s what I do instead.

## Take a break

I know, I know. You’ve got a deadline.

But staring at the blank page isn’t getting you anywhere, so what difference does taking a break make?

Get away from your computer and go do something completely unrelated to what you’re writing.

If you can go and spend time with a friend for a while, do it. They’re the perfect distraction.

If that’s not an option, see if there’s someone you can chat to on the phone for a bit.

Just don’t take a break from writing by spending time on social media, emailing, or texting. While you’re not writing the piece you’re stuck on, these things still count as writing. When you do these for ‘a break’, you’re not actually giving your brain a break.

Other things you could do during your break:

  * Take the dog a walk somewhere pretty
  * If you don’t have a dog, just go for a walk somewhere pretty like the park
  * Treat yourself to something nice, whether it’s a new item of clothing, some new skincare, or a new DVD
  * Pamper yourself—get your haircut, get a manicure, whatever rocks your boat
  * Meditate



## Have a power nap

This one only really works if you work from home, but never underestimate the effectiveness of a power nap.

The key is to make sure you don’t fall asleep for longer than half an hour. If you do, you’ll wake up feeling even worse than you did before you fell asleep.

On the other hand, if you have a caffeinated drink before you fall asleep, you’ll wake up feeling even better! That’s because caffeine takes 15-20 minutes to get into our system: the optimum time for a power nap. You’ll therefore just be waking up as the caffeine kicks in. Perfect!

## Drown out the background noise

If you’re in a busy or noisy location, concentrating can be difficult. Even if you work from home, it can still be noisy. Children, neighbours gardening, roadworks down the street, or even just cars going past can all be noisy, unwelcome distractions when you need to concentrate.

Put some headphones on and listen to some music or [put on some sound effects](http://noisli.com/).

## Get a change of scenery

A change of scenery can work wonders for helping you to get out of a funk.

That’s because it’s easy for our brain to fall into certain habits and patterns. It wants to do as little work as possible.

But when you put it somewhere new, it springs back into life. It sees things differently. And therefore so do you.

Sometimes all it takes is for you to open the same document in a different room of your house to see your piece completely differently.

## Switch to pen and paper

Some people suggest that writing ideas down by hand can be more effective than typing them out first.

While I don’t do this often—my handwriting is appalling and I can type considerably faster than I can write—there are times when I’ve found writing by hand has helped me to work through issues I’ve had on projects. I’ve found ways to fix everything from blog posts to books just from switching from my laptop to a notebook. And really, so long as you know what it says, that’s all that matters, right?

## Play a game

Gaming is one of my favourite ways to relax. I’m terrible at it, but it doesn’t matter. What matters is that it makes me smile.

I love reading, and that helps me to relax too, but there’s always a voice in my head analysing what I read no matter what it is that I’m reading.

That’s why gaming is a good break for me. I focus on nothing but the puzzle in front of me.

Any type of game will do. I’m a big fan of puzzle games, but violent games have actually been found to _reduce_ stress and make people less angry, rather than increase it like many people assume. Being surrounded by gamers who favour so-called violent games, I have to say, they’re some of the most laid-back people I know!

Be sure to have a cut-off point though, especially if you have a looming deadline! You don’t want to suddenly look at the clock and realise there’s only an hour until your deadline!

## Talk to someone

This ties in with my earlier point about taking a break, but this time, I want you to talk to someone about the issue you’re stuck with.

I do this often when I have problems with my book. Sometimes just talking _at_ someone about what I’m stuck on helps me to fix all sorts of problems. Even if the person you’re talking to doesn’t know how to help you, having someone who’ll listen can be enough to trigger something within you.

## Work on a different project for a while

A little perspective goes a long way, but that perspective only comes with time.

That’s why it really helps to separate yourself after you’ve worked on a [first draft](https://www.writerscookbook.com/first-draft-cake-analogy/) of something. Even if it’s only for a couple of days, you’ll see things vastly differently than you did when you wrote the piece in question. You’ll pick up on more issues, and you’ll find that sections you hated aren’t as terrible as you thought.

## Don’t be so hard on yourself

The more pressure you put on yourself, the harder it is to achieve anything.

A little stress can help to push us towards our goals faster, but there’s a tipping point where that stress becomes suffocating.

That tipping point is different for everyone.

You’ll know what yours is when you hit it.

Be kind to yourself, and know that not everything you write will be perfect.

All you can do is write the best that you can at that moment in time.

The next thing you write will be even better.

It’s a continuous, never-ending journey.


	8. What People Need To Know About The Creative Process

https://springhole.net/writing/what-people-need-to-know-about-the-creative-process.html

I've run into a lot of people who have some pretty unhelpful and even self-defeating ideas about what it means to be creative and just what they should expect of themselves. So I'm going to try to lay it out the reality of the creative process so you don't end up falling into these myths and misconceptions yourself.

* * *

**It's always going to be work.** Sometimes you'll have lucky days where everything comes together almost effortlessly, but those days will never be most days. _Most_ days are going to involve actual effort, whether it's actively hunting down ideas, writing down as many ideas as you can come up with and hoping a good one pops up, or forcing yourself to write even though it feels like chewing your way through a sandstone wall. And only working on days when everything comes to you effortlessly is the worst mistake you can make - because if you do, you will never get your projects completed.

**You will need to take occasional breaks to recharge your batteries.** Sometimes you'll do your best to muddle through despite feeling completely uninspired, and you'll still find yourself spinning your wheels. When that happens, it's okay to take a break for awhile - say, from a few hours to a few days - then come back to it and try to push through again.

**Sometimes there's nothing to do but put a project off to the side for awhile.** It sometimes happens that no matter how hard you try, you just can't make your project get anywhere right now. In cases like these, you might have to leave it be for awhile - which could be a matter of weeks or months, or even years. What's important is that you don't forget about it so that you can get back to it if you find a way to make it work, or so you can use it for ideas if you end up starting a new project that some of its concepts would actually work really well for.

**Just because your initial concept has a few flaws in it, doesn't mean the whole thing is bad and needs thrown out.** Just about nobody creates something that's perfectly flawless at first go. How it usually happens is someone comes up with an idea, writes it out, then look over the idea for possible flaws (and maybe ask other people to look for flaws), then figure out what can be done to fix those flaws. If everyone just completely threw out their initial ideas because they had problems, _no one would ever get anything created._ Think of it this way: if you were furnishing your bedroom and realized partway through that you'd put the shelf in the wrong place, would you just throw out all the furniture and sleep on the sofa instead? Of course not. You'd just move the shelf over where it belongs and get on with the rest of it. Likewise, you wouldn't stop decorating your room if you realized that the painting you just hung up doesn't actually look good in that spot; you'd just move it to another spot or decide not to hang it up at all. But you wouldn't just give up on the room entirely. And so, finding a few flaws in your concept doesn't mean that you just give up on it - it means that you find a way to fix them.

**Just because you can't immediately spot the flaws in your project, doesn't mean you're stupid.** Being able to spot flaws in a project often requires real-world knowledge that you may not have had the opportunity to learn yet. What sorts of critical questions you should be asking yourself about your setting aren't always obvious, either. Troubleshooting a story or setting is essentially a learned skill, and you'll get better at it with practice.

**It's normal and okay to discard some ideas you were considering for your project altogether.** You might find that you can't really fit something into your setting without creating a lot of plotholes, or you might find that it just doesn't mesh with the tone, or you might find that it doesn't really serve any necessary function. You might even realize that it doesn't fit after spending days or weeks developing it. It's normal and okay for this to happen.

**It's okay to recycle your old ideas.** If you came up with something years ago for some obscure fanfic or RP you were in and feel like you could use the concept for something else now, go right ahead. If you came up with a make-believe world when you were six years old and feel like it has potential as a story now, go for it. If you wrote a short story ages ago and want to rework it into an entire novel, do it! If you can think of a new use for something you had to discard from another project because it just didn't fit, then use it now! Repurposing your old ideas is a perfectly valid way to create.

**No matter how smart or educated you are when you start writing, you can't expect perfection from the start.** Writing involves a lot of skills that have to be _practiced_ to be gotten down, as well as involves learning to do a lot of things that are simply counterintuitive to the average person. Just because your English teacher gushed over your work doesn't mean you'll automatically be a great writer, either - in some cases, English teachers impart a lot of bad habits onto their students, such as relying on purple prose, avoiding the word 'said' like it's infected with scabies, or prioritizing "grammatically correct" prose over prose that sounds smooth and natural.

**It's okay if your creations right now aren't very good.** You're still gaining experience and skill that will help you create better stuff in the future, and if you're having fun right now, that alone makes the effort worth it! That's right - creating and writing _just for yourself_ is a perfectly valid hobby.

**It's okay if you're never perfect.** Because _no one is._ No creator makes 100% perfect works all the time, and anyone who says that some creator or other only produces perfect works is probably a bit biased. So chill if your creations aren't 100% perfect. As long as you're making _somebody_ happy with them (even yourself), that's all that matters.

**Getting advice is good, but you must also learn to trust yourself and take risks.** Not everyone is going to have all the answers all the time. Different people are going to have very different answers, some of which will conflict with each other. Some people's advice might be wrong for your project, or it might be just plain wrong, period. The trick is to know what it is you're trying to accomplish your creation, and to ask yourself whether or not what you want to do or what you're being told to do will likely help or hinder that. It also helps to occasionally ask yourself, "what can I think of that confirms that this is so? And is there anything I can think of that could demonstrate an exception to this as a rule?" (Remember, while a lot of advice is very good, very little of it is absolute.) And sometimes, just sometimes, you have to just take a risk on something that you heard was a bad idea - because maybe you've figured out how to make it work!


	9. What People Need To Know About The Creative Process

https://springhole.net/writing/what-people-need-to-know-about-the-creative-process.html

# What People Need To Know About The Creative Process

I've run into a lot of people who have some pretty unhelpful and even self-defeating ideas about what it means to be creative and just what they should expect of themselves. So I'm going to try to lay it out the reality of the creative process so you don't end up falling into these myths and misconceptions yourself.

  


* * *

**It's always going to be work.** Sometimes you'll have lucky days where everything comes together almost effortlessly, but those days will never be most days. _Most_ days are going to involve actual effort, whether it's actively hunting down ideas, writing down as many ideas as you can come up with and hoping a good one pops up, or forcing yourself to write even though it feels like chewing your way through a sandstone wall. And only working on days when everything comes to you effortlessly is the worst mistake you can make - because if you do, you will never get your projects completed.

 **You will need to take occasional breaks to recharge your batteries.** Sometimes you'll do your best to muddle through despite feeling completely uninspired, and you'll still find yourself spinning your wheels. When that happens, it's okay to take a break for awhile - say, from a few hours to a few days - then come back to it and try to push through again.

 **Sometimes there's nothing to do but put a project off to the side for awhile.** It sometimes happens that no matter how hard you try, you just can't make your project get anywhere right now. In cases like these, you might have to leave it be for awhile - which could be a matter of weeks or months, or even years. What's important is that you don't forget about it so that you can get back to it if you find a way to make it work, or so you can use it for ideas if you end up starting a new project that some of its concepts would actually work really well for.

 **Just because your initial concept has a few flaws in it, doesn't mean the whole thing is bad and needs thrown out.** Just about nobody creates something that's perfectly flawless at first go. How it usually happens is someone comes up with an idea, writes it out, then look over the idea for possible flaws (and maybe ask other people to look for flaws), then figure out what can be done to fix those flaws. If everyone just completely threw out their initial ideas because they had problems, _no one would ever get anything created._ Think of it this way: if you were furnishing your bedroom and realized partway through that you'd put the shelf in the wrong place, would you just throw out all the furniture and sleep on the sofa instead? Of course not. You'd just move the shelf over where it belongs and get on with the rest of it. Likewise, you wouldn't stop decorating your room if you realized that the painting you just hung up doesn't actually look good in that spot; you'd just move it to another spot or decide not to hang it up at all. But you wouldn't just give up on the room entirely. And so, finding a few flaws in your concept doesn't mean that you just give up on it - it means that you find a way to fix them.

 **Just because you can't immediately spot the flaws in your project, doesn't mean you're stupid.** Being able to spot flaws in a project often requires real-world knowledge that you may not have had the opportunity to learn yet. What sorts of critical questions you should be asking yourself about your setting aren't always obvious, either. Troubleshooting a story or setting is essentially a learned skill, and you'll get better at it with practice.

 **It's normal and okay to discard some ideas you were considering for your project altogether.** You might find that you can't really fit something into your setting without creating a lot of plotholes, or you might find that it just doesn't mesh with the tone, or you might find that it doesn't really serve any necessary function. You might even realize that it doesn't fit after spending days or weeks developing it. It's normal and okay for this to happen.

 **It's okay to recycle your old ideas.** If you came up with something years ago for some obscure fanfic or RP you were in and feel like you could use the concept for something else now, go right ahead. If you came up with a make-believe world when you were six years old and feel like it has potential as a story now, go for it. If you wrote a short story ages ago and want to rework it into an entire novel, do it! If you can think of a new use for something you had to discard from another project because it just didn't fit, then use it now! Repurposing your old ideas is a perfectly valid way to create.

 **No matter how smart or educated you are when you start writing, you can't expect perfection from the start.** Writing involves a lot of skills that have to be _practiced_ to be gotten down, as well as involves learning to do a lot of things that are simply counterintuitive to the average person. Just because your English teacher gushed over your work doesn't mean you'll automatically be a great writer, either - in some cases, English teachers impart a lot of bad habits onto their students, such as relying on purple prose, avoiding the word 'said' like it's infected with scabies, or prioritizing "grammatically correct" prose over prose that sounds smooth and natural.

 **It's okay if your creations right now aren't very good.** You're still gaining experience and skill that will help you create better stuff in the future, and if you're having fun right now, that alone makes the effort worth it! That's right - creating and writing _just for yourself_ is a perfectly valid hobby.

 **It's okay if you're never perfect.** Because _no one is._ No creator makes 100% perfect works all the time, and anyone who says that some creator or other only produces perfect works is probably a bit biased. So chill if your creations aren't 100% perfect. As long as you're making _somebody_ happy with them (even yourself), that's all that matters.

**Getting advice is good, but you must also learn to trust yourself and take risks.** Not everyone is going to have all the answers all the time. Different people are going to have very different answers, some of which will conflict with each other. Some people's advice might be wrong for your project, or it might be just plain wrong, period. The trick is to know what it is you're trying to accomplish your creation, and to ask yourself whether or not what you want to do or what you're being told to do will likely help or hinder that. It also helps to occasionally ask yourself, "what can I think of that confirms that this is so? And is there anything I can think of that could demonstrate an exception to this as a rule?" (Remember, while a lot of advice is very good, very little of it is absolute.) And sometimes, just sometimes, you have to just take a risk on something that you heard was a bad idea - because maybe you've figured out how to make it work!


	10. A Proper Punctuation Primer

This is a short and simple guide to demonstrate the proper use of basic punctuation in American English, as well as to point out and correct common punctuation mistakes.

punctuation mistakes.

  * Periods
  * Exclamation Points
  * Question Marks
  * Quotation Marks
  * Apostrophes
  * Commas
  * Colons
  * Semicolons



### Periods

Typically used at the end of a sentence, as self-demonstrated here in this one.

An ellipsis, or three periods (...) can be used to indicate missing or snipped information, or when someone’s speech trails off or pauses. For example:

**MISSING INFO:** The paper was damaged, nearly incomprehensible. All she could make out was “By the … at midn… with the … See you there.”  
 **TRAIL OFF:** “I don’t know if that’s a good idea…”  
 **PAUSE:** “Well… in all my days I’ve never seen anything like that!”

Trailing ellipses can be followed up by a question mark or exclamation point if appropriate:

**QUESTION:** “What’s that…?”  
 **EXCLAMATION:** “You…!”

Beware: overusing ellipses, particularly in text-based communication, can get annoying _very fast_. It’ll also make you look uncertain, vague, or wishy-washy, which is not at all how you want to present yourself if you want people to take you or your ideas seriously.

  


### Exclamation Points

These are used to put emphatic emphasis on the end of a sentence, such as to indicate that the sentence is being shouted or said forcefully.

**EXAMPLE:** “You get back here and clean up the mess you made!” she shouted.

  


### Question Marks

Question marks are used at the end of… well, questions. If you’re writing dialog in which someone asks a question, don’t not end it with a question.

If a question needs the emphatic emphasis of an exclamation point, you can place an exclamation mark after a question mark to form an interrobang, like this: ?!

**INCORRECT:** “What is making all that noise.” she demanded.  
 **INCORRECT:** “What is making all that noise!” she demanded.  
 **CORRECT:** “What is making all that noise?” she demanded.  
 **CORRECT:** “What is making all that noise?!” she demanded.

  


### Quotation Marks

Quotation marks typically enclose spoken words. If the quote is to be followed up with something like “he said” or “she asked,” a new sentence does _not_ start, even if it ends with a question mark or exclamation point.

**INCORRECT:** “I ate a waffle,” He said.  
 **INCORRECT:** “I ate a waffle.” He said.  
 **INCORRECT:** “I ate a waffle” he said.  
 **CORRECT:** “I ate a waffle,” he said.

**INCORRECT:** “I have a balloon!” She said.  
 **CORRECT:** “I have a balloon!” she said.

**INCORRECT:** “Is that a rabbit?” She asked.  
 **CORRECT:** “Is that a rabbit?” she asked.

Quotation marks can be put around a word to call into question the authenticity or reality of the thing being quoted:

**EXAMPLE:** The “fresh” eggs were at least a week old.  
 **EXAMPLE:** The “coffee” tasted like someone ran compost through a coffee mill and brewed it.

It can also be used to mark a euphemism:

**EXAMPLE:** Yeah, we “fired” him, all right… with a pistol.

In a similar fashion, they can be used to indicate that something isn’t supposed to be taken completely literally, and is intended as a metaphor or as an approximation:

**EXAMPLE:** With this program, you can create anyone you want - even yourself - and “you” can live in a virtual world of your own creation.

Quotation marks are _never_ to be used to emphasize a word - that’s what **bold** and _italic_ text is for. In cases where bold or italic text is unavailable, enclosing a word with *asterisks* or /foreslashes/ are acceptable substitutes.

  


### Apostrophes

Apostrophes are used to mark missing letters in contractions, or to indicate possessive forms. Apostrophes are _never_ used when pluralizing a word.

**INCORRECT:** I cant go to the park, and I dont want a sandwich.  
 **CORRECT:** I can’t go to the park, and I don’t want a sandwich.

**INCORRECT:** Did you find Casses glass’s?  
 **CORRECT:** Did you find Cass’s glasses?

**INCORRECT:** I left Sallies house today with a carton of egg’s.  
 **CORRECT:** I left Sally’s house today with a carton of eggs.

Now, let’s move onto handling possessive plurals.

**INCORRECT:** The girls’s father gave them gloves for Christmas.  
 **CORRECT:** The girls’ father gave them gloves for Christmas.

There are a few exceptions to the possession rule. _Its_ is one of them: _It’s_ is already a contraction of _it is_ , so the possessive form of _it_ is spelled as _its_.

**INCORRECT:** The sun follows it’s path across the heavens.  
 **CORRECT:** The sun follows its path across the heavens.

Another is _your_. _You’re_ is a contraction of _you are_ , so the possessive form of the word has no apostrophe.

**INCORRECT:** Get you’re coat on.  
 **CORRECT:** Get your coat on.

  


### Commas

Commas are used to separate clauses in a sentence, or to separate list items.

Lately, many people have been using periods where commas would be appropriate, resulting in fragmented sentences:

**INCORRECT:** Sarah ran her hand over the dress. Feeling the softness.  
 **CORRECT:** Sarah ran her hand over the dress, feeling the softness.

And the on the inverse, people use commas when other punctuation marks would be more appropriate:

**INCORRECT:** Paul made salad, then Peter tasted it and said it was awful, that’s why Paul is angry.  
 **CORRECT:** Paul made salad, then Peter tasted it and said it was awful. That’s why Paul is angry.

**INCORRECT:** The soup needs three more ingredients, onions, carrots, and celery.  
 **CORRECT:** The soup needs three more ingredients: onions, carrots, and celery.

**Learn to love the Oxford comma** \- that is, a comma before the final “and.” Far from being redundant and unnecessary, it can make sentences much easier to parse and clear up potential ambiguities.

**WITHOUT OXFORD COMMA:** We have tiles in black and white, red and gold and blue and silver.  
 **WITH OXFORD COMMA:** We have tiles in black and white, red and gold, and blue and silver.

**WITHOUT OXFORD COMMA:** We brought along the chickens, Henrietta and Percy.  
 **WITH OXFORD COMMA:** We brought along the chickens, Henrietta, and Percy.

Commas can also be used to separate two or more adjectives. Commas do _not_ come between the last adjective in the list and the noun they’re describing.

**INCORRECT:** It was a cold, clear, night.  
 **CORRECT:** It was a cold, clear night.

  


### Colons

Colons precede lists, list items, and declarations.

**EXAMPLE:** You must gather the three sacred objects: the scepter, the cup, and the bell.  
 **EXAMPLE:** And the farmer had this to say: “There were an awful lot of gophers.”  
 **EXAMPLE:** Pick one of the following:  
A: Royal Razingaberry  
B: Precious Peachaplum  
C: Beatiful Blossibell

  


### Semicolons

The semicolon is used in cases where the sentence doesn’t properly end, but a comma is still too weak or “runny.”

**INCORRECT:** “Not really, it’s actually quite comfortable.”  
 **CORRECT:** “Not really; it’s actually quite comfortable.”


	11. How To Use Paragraph Breaks Properly

https://springhole.net/writing/proper-paragraphs.htm

Using proper paragraph breaks isn't just a matter of obeying some arbitrary rule imposed by stuffy scholars somewhere. Without paragraph breaks - spaces between chunks of text in a written work - potential readers will find themselves facing an imposing wall of text that most won't even bother trying to hurdle. What's more, if they lose focus on the page such as if they have to look away from the page for any reason (or even if their eyes wander as they process and reflect on what they've just read) it makes it much harder to find and pick up where they left off. Also, most people just don't have the concentration or patience to try and read through one long mega-paragraph in one go.

Thus, breaking your story up into manageable chunks is _vitally_ important if you want to retain your readers. Here's how you do it.

* * *

### Start a new paragraph every time someone else starts speaking.

Pretty self-explanatory. No more than one speaker per paragraph. If you're in a chat that doesn't allow multi-paragraphed posts, you can add something like (continued) to the end of your post to indicate that you aren't done.

### Start a new paragraph whenever there is a jump in time and/or location.

And start these paragraphs with something to give a sense of when and/or where we are. For example:

  * Five hours later, I'd finished cleaning the house.
  * The Naverros' house stood atop a large hill.
  * It was a thirty minute drive to the theater.
  * Back in fourth grade, I collected as much space-themed stuff as I could get.



(Thus, it's never necessary to use things like **FLASHBACK!**, *SCENE CHANGE* or ~~~TIME SKIP~~~. As these types of announcements can be jarring to read and thus break both mood and immersion, avoid them.)

### Start a new paragraph whenever the topic or subject changes.

For example, if you were describing the layout of a house, and each room in the house was a subject unto itself, you'd put a paragraph break between each room, like so:

_The spacious kitchen had walls painted in shell pink, and the floors were tiled with pale blue, green, and yellow stones. The light wood counters and center island were topped with white granite, over which copper kettles hung from a rack. A balloon valance with a pastel pink cherry print hung over the window._

The living room had dark green carpeting and tan-colored walls with dark wood wainscoting. A wooden-framed sofa with brown cushions sat opposite a fireplace made from rough, colorful stones, and a chandelier made from deer antlers hung from the ceiling. A messy pile of home and crafting related magazines sat on the rough wooden coffee table.

_The master bedroom was done in a style very similar to the living room, with a rough wooden bed covered in an old-fashioned quilt. Leaf-print curtains hung from large windows that overlooked the backyard, and beyond that, the lake._

However, if the intent was to give a brief overall impression of the house itself and detailed descriptions weren't really necessary at the time, you might put it all into one paragraph like so:

_The kitchen was spacious and done in light, airy colors; the living room had an earthy, rustic look to it; and the master bedroom's style matched that of the living room._

(Of course, one detail the rooms more thoroughly later on when and if specific details became more important to the story!)

**So there you have it.** Start a new paragraph whenever someone else starts speaking, whenever the time and/or location changes, and whenever the topic or subject changes.


	12. Entitlement Issues

http://journal.neilgaiman.com/2009/05/entitlement-issues.html?m=1

Written by Neil Gaiman.

  
Hi Neil,  
  
I've recently subscribed to George RR Martin's blog (http://grrm.livejournal.com/) in the hopes of getting some inside information regarding when the next "Song of Ice and Fire" book is due to be released. I love the series but since subscribing to the blog I've become increasingly frustrated with Martin's lack of communication on the next novel's publication date. In fact, it's almost as though he is doing everything in his power to avoid working on his latest novel. Which poses a few questions:  
  
1\. With blogs and twitter and other forms of social media do you think the audience has too much input when it comes to scrutinising the actions of an artist? If you had announced a new book two years ago and were yet to deliver do you think avoiding the topic on your blog would lead readers to believe you were being "slack"? By blogging about your work and life do you have more of a responsibility to deliver on your commitments?  
  
2\. When writing a series of books, like Martin is with "A Song of Ice and Fire" what responsibility does he have to finish the story? Is it unrealistic to think that by not writing the next chapter Martin is letting me down, even though if and when the book gets written is completely up to him?  
  
Would be very interested in your insight.  
  
Cheers  
Gareth  
  
My opinion....  
  
1) No.  
  
2) Yes, it's unrealistic of you to think George is "letting you down".  
  
Look, this may not be palatable, Gareth, and I keep trying to come up with a better way to put it, but the simplicity of things, at least from my perspective is this:  
  
George R.R. Martin is not your bitch.  
  
This is a useful thing to know, perhaps a useful thing to point out when you find yourself thinking that possibly George is, indeed, your bitch, and should be out there typing what you want to read right now.  
  
People are not machines. Writers and artists aren't machines.  
  
You're complaining about George doing other things than writing the books you want to read as if your buying the first book in the series was a contract with him: that you would pay over your ten dollars, and George for his part would spend every waking hour until the series was done, writing the rest of the books for you.  
  
No such contract existed. You were paying your ten dollars for the book you were reading, and I assume that you enjoyed it because you want to know what happens next.  
  
It seems to me that the biggest problem with series books is that either readers complain that the books used to be good but that somewhere in the effort to get out a book every year the quality has fallen off, or they complain that the books, although maintaining quality, aren't coming out on time.  
  
Both of these things make me glad that I am not currently writing a series, and make me even gladder that the decade that I did write series things, in Sandman, I was young, driven, a borderline workaholic, and very fortunate. (and even then, towards the end, I was taking five weeks to write a monthly comic, with all the knock-on problems in deadlines that you would expect from that).  
  
For me, I would rather read a good book, from a contented author. I don't really care what it takes to produce that.  
  
Some writers need a while to charge their batteries, and then write their books very rapidly. Some writers write a page or so every day, rain or shine. Some writers run out of steam, and need to do whatever it is they happen to do until they're ready to write again. Sometimes writers haven't quite got the next book in a series ready in their heads, but they have something else all ready instead, so they write the thing that's ready to go, prompting cries of outrage from people who want to know why the author could possibly write Book X while the fans were waiting for Book Y.  
  
I remember hearing an upset comics editor telling a roomful of other editors about a comics artist who had taken a few weeks off to paint his house. The editor pointed out, repeatedly, that for the money the artist would have been paid for those weeks' work he could easily have afforded to hire someone to paint his house, and made money too. And I thought, but did not say, “But what if he wanted to paint his house?”  
  
I blew a deadline recently. Terminally blew it. First time in 25 years I've sighed and said, “I can't do this, and you won't get your story.” It was already late, I was under a bunch of deadline pressure, my father died, and suddenly the story, too, was dead on the page. I liked the voice it was in, but it wasn't working, and eventually, rather than drive the editors and publishers mad waiting for a story that wasn't going to come, I gave up on it and apologised, worried that I could no longer write fiction.  
  
I turned my attention to the next deadline waiting – a script. It flowed easily and delightfully, was the most fun I've had writing anything in ages, all the characters did exactly what I had hoped they would do, and the story was better than I had dared to hope.  
  
Sometimes it happens like that. You don't choose what will work. You simply do the best you can each time. And you try to do what you can to increase the likelihood that good art will be created.  
  
And sometimes, and it's as true of authors as it is of readers, you have a life. People in your world get sick or die. You fall in love, or out of love. You move house. Your aunt comes to stay. You agreed to give a talk half-way around the world five years ago, and suddenly you realise that that talk is due now. Your last book comes out and the critics vociferously hated it and now you simply don't feel like writing another. Your cat learns to levitate and the matter must be properly documented and investigated. There are deer in the apple orchard. A thunderstorm fries your hard disk and fries the backup drive as well...  
  
And life is a good thing for a writer. It's where we get our raw material, for a start. We quite like to stop and watch it.  
  
The economics of scale for a writer mean that very few of us can afford to write 5,000 page books and then break them up and publish them annually once they are done. So writers with huge stories, or ones that, as Sandman did, grow in the telling, are going to write them and have them published as they go along.  
  
And if you are waiting for a new book in a long ongoing series, whether from George or from Pat Rothfuss or from someone else...  
  
Wait. Read the original book again. Read something else. Get on with your life. Hope that the author is writing the book you want to read, and not dying, or something equally as dramatic. And if he paints the house, that's fine.  
  
And Gareth, in the future, when you see other people complaining that George R.R. Martin has been spotted doing something other than writing the book they are waiting for, explain to them, more politely than I did the first time, the simple and unanswerable truth: George R. R. Martin is not working for you.

Hope that helps.


	13. Useful Writing Links

[Springhole](https://springhole.net/writing/)

[Writers Cookbook](https://www.writerscookbook.com/category/creativity/)

[NaNoWriMo](http://blog.nanowrimo.org/)

[Scribophile](https://www.scribophile.com/blog/welcome-to-scribophile)

[The Writing Cafe](https://the-writing-cafe.tumblr.com)

[Limyaael’s Fantasy Rants](https://curiosityquills.com/limyaael/)


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